A house is about a lot more than a physical structure. Outdoor property, including landscaping, clearly defined property boundaries and ample room for children and pets to play, are key too. Additionally, if you've ever lived in a neighborhood with just one litigious, rude or noisy resident, you know how the people you live near can turn a house buying decision into a smart move or a painful regret.

3 city offerings that may top good neighbors

The fact that neighbors can influence an entire house buying decision puts good neighbors at the top of the list of the things that make an area a great place to live. But, as influential as they are, neighbors generally don't have a city-wide focus. You can actually getaway from bad neighbors simply by traveling across town to a relative's or friend's house.

What you can't get away from after you buy a house are the secondary education options,property tax rates, natural views, land space between neighboring houses, apartments and condos and traffic jams. You also can't gain instant access to higher wages, better job opportunities, local professional sports or live entertainment.

It's these advantages that many homeowners want. Not every city provides these benefits. Although there are more than a handful of takeaways that homeowners want from the city that they buy a house in, there are three top things that make a city a great place to live. Some house shoppers won't even consider moving to an area without these three things:

Growing business environment - Even if homeowners are currently employed with an employer who has a solid performance record, they appreciate knowing that there are a host of job options moments from where they live. It helps to keep wages and job title opportunities competitive.

Entertainment- Live and non-live entertainment options like dining, stage plays, sports and arts help to attract home buyers.

Property taxes - Before house shoppers sign a mortgage, they may want to know that they won't get hit with high or frequently rising property taxes.

Go getters want more than minimal housing and community offerings

City officials play an integral role in helping to determine whether upwardly mobile adults are willing to move to an area. Adults with clear life goals, ambition, inner vision and courage may want more than a place to park their vehicle, sleep, eat and relax in.

These go-getters want to live in a city that's thriving. They want a broad range of entertainment, fitness, dining, education and social options. Go-getters also appreciate living near other like-minded people. Attracting these upwardly mobile adults to an area requires forethought.

It also requires planning. City officials must take a pulse on their residents and discover what residents appreciate most about their jurisdictions. Identifying gaps is another priority. For example, city officials should know if residents find area traffic, public transportation, property taxes or public education weak or lacking.

As city officials take these items seriously and build teams to make necessary improvements, they might experience an uptick in the numbers of businesses and house buyers moving to their cities. They also might experience economic improvements. The bottom line is that doing what it takes to attract and keep forward thinking house buyers is good for entire communities.